Apparatus for the treatment of webs or fleeces



Aug? 1949- T. MERCHANT 2,479,759

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF WEBS OR FLEECES Filed June 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 T. MERCHANT 2,479,759

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF WEBS 0R FLEECES Aug. 23, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1946 FIG. 2.

Patented Aug. 23, 1949 APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF WEBS OR FLEECES Thomas Merchant, Rochdale, England, asslg'nor, by mesne assignments, to Hubert Duesberg,

Heusy-Verviers,

Belgium Application June s, 1946, Serial No. 673,961 In Great Britain June 8, 1945 Claims. 1

This'invention relates to apparatus comprising coactive rollers or cylinders (hereinafter termed rollers) between which a web or fleece produced in a carding process is passed and pressure is applied through the rollers. The invention is especially applicable to the apparatus for crushing foreign substances or bodies from the webs by pressure rollers as disclosed in the specification of U. S. A. Patent No. 2,075,156.

Pressure is usually aplied to the rollers by mechanical devices includin resilient means and often the devices comprise screw threaded spindles (with a hand wheel control) arranged at each end of a roller and controlling the shaft bearings. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that apart from the fact that in the adjusting operations required for a roller the judgment of the operator may be faulty. and unequal pressure result, in all cases the characteristics and mounting of the springs must be taken into consideration. It will be understood'that it is almost impossible to provide two springs exactly alike so that even if equal mechanical compression is applied to the two springs the pressure applied to the ends of the rollers may not be exactly equal. In apparatus according to the aforesaid patent it is essential that equal pressure is provided.

The main object of this invention is to provide equal pressure on both ends of a roller.

Accordingly in apparatus of the above type a roller mounted to have movement relative to another roller or rollers has a fluid controlled piston device or its equivalent associated with each of its ends and fluid supply means for the application of pressure through the piston devices to the roller. A common source of fluid supply is employed for the pressure applying pistons of a roller.

A pressure gauge is incorporated in the pres sure system for accurate control purposes. Moreover, the pressure may be built up by a manually or electrically operated device. Relief and release valve means may be incorporated in the fluid pressure system.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the invention are shown:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation of crushing apparatus with improved roller pressure control means;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a part elevation with modified control means.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown, a pair of smooth faced rollers l, 2 are arranged one above the other with their shafts 3, 4, carried by bearings 5, 6, mounted in end frames l.

The upper bearings 5 are mounted in slides 8 I Illa mounted in the cylinder and anchored to the frame. The cylinder is shown with a boss ll located in a recess in the bearing and an interposed ring washer l2 which allows sufficient flexibility in the anchorage to allow for the extremely slight self-aligning adjustment of the cylinder required relative to the roller bearing should a web be uneven. The pistons l0 and Illa are each mounted in the head bracket l3 of the end frame by means of their top portion I4 and a flange l5 normally restricts the upward movement of the piston. Sealing means. such as leather rings l6 or a spring ring, are provided between the piston and cylinder against the leakage of fluid. Fluid is admitted to each cylinder through a connecting feed pipe I! connected to a union l8 or a supply container mounted on a top cross member of the end frames or other support. Fluid pressure is created in the cylinders and, as the pistons are held by the frames, the cylinders and consequently the bearings 5 are forced downward to apply pressure on the rollers. The fluid pressure may be developed by a hand operated (a tommy bar could be used) screw l9 being screwed down through the fixed nut 20 to apply pressure on the top 14 of the aligned piston Illa. A pressure indicator 2| is secured to a cylinder 9 or otherwise incorporated in the system to ensure exact pressure on, and control of, the roller I. A relief valve 22 is preferably incorporated in the system to prevent overloading on the roller. As shown the valve is secured to the right hand cylinder 9 with a pipe 23 leading thereto from the union l8 and an outlet pipe 24 for excess oil to flow out should the applied pressure be greater than the pressure settingof the valve. Furthermore, a separate pressure release valve may be included so that the pressure on the roller can be released at will in an easy manner, although in this construction the screw is need only be eased back for the same purpose.

With the above arrangement the system can be filled with oil through the left hand cylinder 9 before the piston Illa is mounted in position and can be forced through the system by such piston,

aerarse say in stages. The head bracket 63 is then ml mtedand the screw is inserted and adjusted 7 until thegauge records the required pressure. Oil could be introduced through the union it or other part such as the priming valve 25 providedon the right hand cylinder In a modified arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the pressure is built up by a hand operated (it could be operated electrically) combined pump and supply container 25 of any known form. The remainder of the system may be as aforesaid with the exception of the union l8 and screw is which would be dispensed with. Also the relief valve 22 is mounted on the pump (it could be within it) for excess oil to pass back into the supply container.

The above pressure control means could be used for other roller apparatus employing two or more rollers. Also the fiuid may comprise other liquids than oil but is not necessarily limited to a liquid. When pressure in the system is released the upper roller I may be raised by the screws 21 carried by the lower bearings 6 being unscrewed up against the bosses 28 on the bearings 5.

The use of fluid pressure as described provides absolutely equal pressure on both shaft ends of a roller which pressure is infinitely variable at will in an easy manner and minute recordings of actual pressure are available by the pressure gauge.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for controlling the pressure between a pair of crushing rollers for textile webs,

one of which rollers is journalled in adjustable bearings at each end of the roll, said apparatus comprising, a fluid operated device associated with each bearing, each said device including piston and cylinder elements one of which elements is stationary and the other movable with the bearing, a closed fluid system interconnecting sail cylinder elements and screw means applying an adjustable pressure upon the fluid in said closed sys thereby to efiect a corresponding pressure adjustment at each of said fluid operated devices.

2. Apparatus for controlling'the pressure between a pair of crushing rollers for textile webs, one of which rollers is 'journalled in adjustable bearings at each end of the roll, said apparatus comprising, a fluid operated device associated with each bearing, each said device including piston and cylinder elements one of which elements is stationary and the other movable with the bearing, a closed fluid system interconnecting said cylinder elements and means for adjusting the position of the stationary element of one of said devices to thereby apply and regulate the fluid pressure in said system.

3. A hydraulic control apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said adjusting means is constituted by a screw acting upon said stationary member.

4. A hydraulic control apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the piston elements of said fluid operated devices are stationary and said adjusting means for the same is constituted by a screw acting upon the piston end.

5. A hydraulic control apparatus as defined in claim 2 and which further includes a pressure relief valve connected into said fluid system.

THOMAS MERCHANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 844,350 Hale Feb. 19, 1907 1,383,473 Lortz July 5, 1921 2,027,283 McFadden Jan. 7, 1936 2,075,156 Albero Mar. 30, 1937 2,109,936 Tice Mar. 1, 1938 2,182,900 McIlvried et al. Dec. 12, 1939 

